Lighting equipment and housing and hinges for same



Nov. 25, 1958 .1. SCHNEIDER 2,861,711

LIGHTING EQUIPMENT AND HOUSING AND HINGES FOR SAME Filed Aug. 22,- 1957 5 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOR.

John fichnelder @am (:19 y. ATTorneqs Nov. 25, 1958 J. SCHNEIDER LIGHTING EQUIPMENT AND HOUSING AND HINGES FOR SAME Filed Aug. 22, 1957 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR. John Schneider ATTorneqs J. SCHNEIDER Nov. 25, 1958 LIGHTING EQUIPMENT AND HOUSING AND amass FOR SAME Filed Avg. 2.2. 1957 3' Sheets-Sheet 3 INVENTOR. John schnelder AI'Torneqs ;in large numbers as stieet lar'nps, is "sideration and one wellfworth ialimr iating, What is mo ap are .f

United States Patent invention relates t1: an outdoor light fixture and more particularly to an internally mounted hinge for an outdoor light fixture. v V

Light bowls for outdoor lighting fixtures are usually removable topro'viide access to the interior of the housing for replacing burnt out lights or repairing the appliances "inside. Since these. outdoor lighting fixtures are freiquently atlelevated'positions, it is desirable for thelight bowls to be pivotally connectedto th fixture so the serviceman will not have tosupport it while he is occupied making other repairs. Internally mounted hinges pivotally connecting the light bowl to. the housing have been jemployed in these outdoor light fixtures to reduce corro- 'sion caused by "exposure to the elements. Heretofore these internallyfiuounted hinges required the use of precision made fasteners and various other .relatiyely'expensive machined parts. This added expense, whenfmultiin'eed therefore and. QQI PIEQS th lh ef bi i i invention is. an ternallfyinountedhinge for outdoor lighting fixtures wh ch does notgrequire new ofv precision made parts and which can be installed on the light fixture wit' houtfrfecours e toexpensive precision fasteners s p g o m k g idj b m ca i f i if tu e 1,

.Stfl a other. Jo of h s n m i "Pm id a internally mc nin ted.hinge ffor an outdoor light fixture "which is compact and durable.

. hese aadx ths' li h i h ni 1 b m N tsdqlin the light pf the accompanying drawings and specification wherein;

1 i 1 is sis'e e al r ni ttime nine ternally mounted hinge constructed according to this int n r Fig. 2 is an enlargedifragment of a cross-section of the "lighting fixtu'ie with'the light bowl in closed position;

Fig. 3 is fa longitudinal view of thehinge constructed according to this invention; 1 F I I Fig. 4 is ,an enlarged fragment ofa cross-section of the fixture thelight bowl in open position; a V

Fig. 5, is anemar r ginent'ofithe fixture "Withthe ligh t bowl "assumes separated from the hinge;

Fig. 6 is a longitudinal' viewof thelight fixture showing hinges mountedinside in-spaced relation; and 7 Fig. 7 is a longitudinal view of a modified lighting xt j .c fl 1 1 R r n 1 W 10 LF sjoft d a n s e o tdgo lighting fixture indicated generally "bygthe reference numeral '10 comprises 'ahousingsection '12. a The housing sectionhas an opening '13 and 'atransparentor translucent glass light or coverbowl section 14is provided for closing the housingfsec'tion opening. "A'resilient packing member 44 is provided for reasons to be described below I 2,861,711 Patented Nov. 25, 1958 and this packing member is secured to the housing section 12 in spaced relation to the vperiphery of the opening 13. An internal support member 16 is mounted. inside the fixture housing 12, and this support member is secured to the housing at 18 by any conventional means such as welding. The support-member is adapted to support a light 'source. 20. l I V The glass cover. bowl section 14 is provided witharcu atel y bent inturned flanges 22 at its periphery. The inner "edges .of these lfianges are bent upwardly to form gripping portions 23. These grippingportions 23 are so arranged that when the cover section is in closed position over-the housing sectionopening, they will engage the sides ofthe resilient packing member. 44 to frictionally hold the glass cover bowl in closed position. A handle 46 may be secured to the glass coverbowl by any conventional means (not shown) to permit the glass bowlto be conveniently opened and closed. In'addition, the housing 12 is provided with downwardly extending flanges 45 at it's peripheral edges which acts as rain shields to further seal the fixture.

A plurality of hinges indicated generally by the reference numeral 24 are mounted inside these lighting fixtures in spaced relation, see Figs. 6 and 7. These hinges are designed to press the closed cover bowl 14 against the packing member 44 to seal the fixture and protect the hinge portionsinside from the corrosive eiiects of the elements and in addition these hinges must reliably connect the cover bowl with the housing section to prevent their accidental separation while the cover bowl is opened. As shown, the-hinges include integrally attached depending support members 26. These support members are "secured at oneend to the inner surface of the top of the housing section at 15 byany conventional means, such as welding. The lower end of these support members 26 are bent to form integral substantially horizontal first hingeleaf members 28. The outer edge of the first hinge leaf members is shaped to form a first substantially cylindrical'bushing '30, see Fig. 3. The second hinge leaf member 34 is also bent at one end to form a second substantially cylindrical bushing 36. These bushings are provided to rotatably support a pivot pin 32 therein.

The opposite end of the second hinge leaf member is 'bent arcuately at 38, and this arcuate part is rigidly secured to a cylindrical pivot and actuating rod 40 by any conventional means (not shown), see Fig. 2. A spiral spring 41, as shown in Fig. 3, is mounted on the pivot pin 32 withits ends engaging hinge leaves 28 and 34 in such a way as to rotate them away from each other. With this arrangement, when the cover bowl is connected to the housing 12, the relative movement of the hinge leaf menibers'rnaintains the pivot and actuating ro d 49 in engagenient with the arcuately bent portions of the inturned flanges 22 on the cover bowl section 14 and provides thereby'a pivotal axis of rotation for it. As seen in Fig. 6, the end of the cylindrical rod 40 is bent to form an actuating handle portion 43 for purposes to be described below.

In operation, cover bowl handle 46 is grasped, andthe cover bowl 114 is pulled open. When this happens, the cover bowl will rotate on the pivot and actuating rod 40, as shown in Fig. 4. While this is happening, the spring engagement between the first and second leaf members 28 and 34 will bias the arcuateportion 38 and pivot and actuating rod 40 of the hinge into continuous supporting engagement with the flange 22 of the cover bowl 14 at 42 so'th'e cover bowl cannot accidentally become separated In this way, the serviceman can devote his full attention to repairs or installations without concerning himself with supporting the cover bowl. When it is necessary to entirely remove the cover bowl for cleaning or replacement, the actuating handle In the lighting fixture disclosed in Fig. 6, spaced hinges are provided and each hinge has a separate pivot and actuating rod 40 and a separate handle 43. I This means that the cover bowl is removed from the housing section one hinge at a time, by sequentially grasping each actuating handle 43 and separating that portion of the cover bowl section from the housing section. 'This can be done more conveniently as shown in the modification in Fig.7. There the hinges aregidentical, but the second leaf member 34 of each hinge is secured to a single common pivot and actuating rod 40'. This rod is provided with a single actuating handle portion 43. When this actuating handle is moved downwards in the housing section, the bias exerted by all the hinges is simultaneously overcome, and this frees the cover bowl section from its pivotal connection to the housing section by one simple operation. In addition, in this modification the bias exerted by each hinge combines to help retain the pivot and actuating rod in the arcuate portion 42' of the cover bowl flanges, providing thereby a stable axis of rotation for the cover bowl.

Theinvention may be embodied in other forms without departing from the spirit or essential characteristics thereof as set forth in the claims, and the present embodiment is therefore to be considered as illustrative and not restrictive and it is intended to include all changes which come within the scope and range of the claims.

I claim:

1. A fixture for supporting appliances comprising a housing section, said housing section having an opening, a cover section for closing said housing section opening, one of said fixture sections having arcuately bent inturned flanges at its periphery, portions of the edges of said housing section and said cover section adapted to be connected together, a support member, said support member secured to the inner surface of the other of the fixture sections, a hinge mounted inside said fixture, said hinge comprising first and second leaf members rotatably engaging a pivot pin, said first'hinge leaf secured to said support member, said econd'hinge leaf secured to a pivot and actuating rod, bias means acting between said hinge leaves to rotate them with respect to each other, said hinge leaves positioned so said relative rotative movement of said hinge leaves moves said pivot and actuating rod into engagement with the arcuately bent portion of said inturned flanges on said one of said fixture sections providing a pivotal axis of rotation for said section, and means for overcoming the bias means acting between said hinge leaves to move said pivotand actuating rod away 7 from the arcuately bent portion of the inturned flanges to free said one fixture section from its pivotal connection to the other fixture section.

2. A fixture for supporting appliances comprising a housing section, said housing section having an opening, a cover section for closing said housing section opening, said cover section having arcuately bent inturned flanges at its periphery, portions of the edges of said housing section and said cover section adapted to be connected together, a support member, said support member secured to the inner surface of the housing section, at least one hinge mounted inside said fixture, each hinge comprising first and second leaf members rotatably engaging a pivot pin, said first hinge leaf secured to said support member and said second hinge leaf secured to a pivot and actuating rod, bias means acting between said hinge leaves to rotate them away from each other, said hinge leaves positioned so that said relative rotative movement of said hinge leaves moves said pivot and actuating rod into engagement with the arcuately bent portion of said inturned flanges on said. cover section providing a pivotal axis of rotation for it, and means for overcoming the bias means acting between said hinge leaves to move said pivot and actuating rod away from the arcuately bent portion of the inturned flanges to free said cover section from its pivotal connection to the housing section.

3. A fixture for supporting appliances comprising a housing section, said housing sectionhaving an opening, a cover section for closing said housing section opening, aresilient packing member secured. to said housing sec.- tion adjacent the periphery ofits opening, said cover section having arcuately bent inturned flanges adjacent its periphery, the inner edges of said inturned flanges bent upwardly to form gripping portions, said gripping portions positionedso that when said cover section is in closed position over said housing section opening they will engage said resilient packing member to frictionally hold said cover section in closed position, a support-member, said support member secured to the inner surface of the housing section, at least one hinge mounted inside said fixture, each hinge comprising first and second leaf members rotatably engaging a pivot pin, said first hinge leaf secured'to said support member and said second hinge leaf rigidly secured to a pivot and actuating rod, bias means acting "between said hinge'leaves to rotate them away from each other, said hinge leaves positioned so their relative rotative movement moves said pivot and actuating rod into rotative engagement with the arcuate bent portion of said inturned'flanges on said cover section providing a pivotal axis of rotation for it, and means for overcoming the bias meansv acting between said hinge leaves to move said pivot and actuating rod away from the arcuately bent portion-of the inturned flanges to free fsaidcoversection 'from' its pivotal connection'to the housing section.

4.'Th'e apparatus set forth in' claim 3 wherein said bias means acting between said hinge leaves comprises a coil spring rotatably mounted onsaid pivot pin, one

a cover section for closing 'said housing section opening, one of said fixture sections having arcuately bent inturned flanges at its periphery, portions of the edges of said housing section and said cover sectionadapted to be connected together, a plurality of'support members secured in spaced relation 'to the inner'su'rface of the other of said fixture sections,a plurality of hinges mounted inside said fixture, each hinge comprising first and second leaf members. rotatably engaging a pivot pin, each of said first leaf members secured to one of said support members, said second leaf member of each hinge secured to a common pivot and actuating rod, bias means acting between said leaf members on each hinge to rotate them with respect to each other, said leaf members positioned so that their relative movement moves said common pivot and actuating rod into engagement with the arcuately bent portion of said inturned flanges on said one of 'said fixture sections providing a pivotal axis of rotation for said section, and means for simultaneously overcoming the bias means acting between said leaf members on each hinge to move said pivot and actuating rod away from the arcuately bent portion of the inturned flanges to free said one fixture section from its pivotal connection to the other fixture section.

6. A fixture for supporting appliances comprising a housing section, said housing section'having'an opening, a cover section forclosing said housing section opening,

said cover' section having arcuatelybent inturned flanges tion, a plurality of hinges mounted inside said fixture, each hinge comprising first and second leaf members rotatably engaging a pivot pin, each of said first'leaf members secured to one of said spaced support members, said second leaf member of each hinge secured to a common pivot and actuating rod, bias means acting between the leaf members on each hinge to rotate them away from each other, said leaf members positioned so that their relative movement moves said common pivot and actuating rod into engagement with the arcuately bent portion of said inturned flange on said cover section, providing a pivotal axis of rotation for it, and means for simultaneously overcoming the bias means acting between said leaf members on each hinge to move said pivot and actuating rod away from the arcuately bent portion of the inturned flanges to free said cover section from its pivotal connection to the housing section.

7. A fixture for supporting appliances comprising a housing section, said housing section having an opening, a cover section for closing said housing section opening, a resilient packing member secured to the housing section adjacent the periphery of its opening, said cover section having arcuately bent inturned flanges at its periphery, the inner edges of said inturned flanges bent upwardly to form gripping portions, said gripping portions positioned so that when said cover section is in closed position over said housing section opening, they will engage said resilient packing member to frictionally hold said cover section in closed position, a plurality of support members secured in spaced relation to the inner surface of the housing section, a plurality of hinges mounted inside said fixture, each hinge comprising first and-second leaf members rotatably engaging a pivot pin, each of said first leaf members secured to one of said spaced support members, said second leaf member of each hinge secured to a common pivot and actuating rod, bias means acting between the leaf members on each hinge to rotate them away from each other, said leaf members positioned so that their relative movement moves said common pivot and actuating rod into engagement with arcuately bent portions of said inturned flanges on said cover section providing a pivotal axis of rotation for it, and means for simultaneously overcoming the bias means acting between said leaf members on each hinge to move said pivot and actuating rod away from the arcuately bent portion of the inturned flanges to free the cover section from its pivotal connection to the housing section.

8. An outdoor lighting fixture comprising a housing section, said housing section having an opening, a cover section for closing said housing section opening, a resilient packing member secured to the housing section adiacent the periphery of its opening, said cover section having arcuately bent inturned flanges at its periphery, the inner edges of said inturned flanges bent upwardly to form gripping portions, said gripping portions positioned so that when said cover section is in closed position over said housing section opening, they will engage said resilient packing member to frictionally hold said cover section in closed position, a plurality of hinges mounted inside the lighting fixture, each hinge including an integrally attached depending support member, each support member secured at one end to the inner surface of the top portion of the housing section, the opposite end of each support member bent substantially horizontally to form a first hinge leaf member, each of said first hinge leaf members terminating in a first cylindrical bushing, a second hinge leaf member, said second hinge leaf member terminating at one end in a second cylindrical bushing, a pivot pin for each hinge, each pivot pin rotatably mounted in said first and second bushings, a pivot and actuating rod, the opposite end of said second hinge leaf member of each hinge secured to said pivot and actuating rod, a coil spring rotatably mounted on each pivot pin, one end of each coil spring engaging said first leaf member and'the opposite end engaging the second leaf member to rotate the hinge leaves of each hinge away from each other, said leaf members positioned so that their relative movement moves said pivot and actuating rod into engagement with arcuately bent portions of said inturned flanges on said cover section providing a pivotal axis of rotation for it, said common pivot and actuating rod terminating in a handle portion so that moving said handle portion in one direction overcomes the biasing force exertedby the coil springs on each hinge and moves said pivot and actuating rod away from the arcuately bent portion of the inturned flanges to free the cover section from its pivotal connection to the housing section.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,300,504 Hedges Nov. 3, 1942 2,302,661 Benson Nov. 24, 1942 2,596,634 Wince May 13, 1952 2,597,875 Kruger May 27, 1952 2,717,307 Bjontegard Sept. 6, 1955 2,737,577 McPhail Mar. 6, 1956 

